Pre-election surge for Canadian Conservatives

Canada’s Conservative Party leader Stephen Harper has set his sights on two traditional Liberal Party strongholds – Ontario and Québec – as support for his party surged in one poll but fell in another with only five days before the country elects a new government.

Harper addressed loud rallies yesterday in Toronto and Montréal, with adoring supporters chanting one of the central themes of the so-far successful Conservative campaign: A time for change.